Language teachers are at risk of being replaced by AI according to some employers, despite the fact that AI-translated text tends to be less lexically rich than human translations.
One company that is taking advantage of AI in language instruction is Loora, which uses conversational AI to teach English to students. Their iOS app allows users to chat with a chatbot that gives feedback on their English comprehension.
Loora offers AI-generated conversation subjects and scenarios to choose from, and provides feedback on grammar, pronunciation, accent, and direct translation in the user’s native tongue if they get stuck. The app also scores users on their proficiency over time and uses this score to personalize conversations at their speaking level.
Image Credits: Loora
Although Loora is not the only AI-based English learning platform, it claims to be different in that it’s aimed at “serious learners” trying to achieve fluency in English for personal and professional advancement.
Loora’s use of AI to cater to specific language learning use cases, as well as its plans to expand into the enterprise market, have attracted the attention of investors. The company recently raised $12 million in a Series A round, which will be used to develop the Android app, deepen Loora’s core AI tech, and expand its workforce from 14 to 25 employees by the end of 2024.
Loora assigns a score depending on the user’s perceived English proficiency.
Loora’s efficient unit economics, growing customer base, and the demand for English learning solutions make it well positioned to continue to grow and serve learners, despite the limitations inherent in language education apps.
